Draft



Feb. 23 1926. 7 1,574,539

C. DAUG H ERTY DRAFT APPLIANCE Filed June 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T rC. DAUGHERTY DRAFT APPLIANCE Filed June 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m l Ii M A,

Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATET EFIQE.

CLAUDE DAUGHERTY, OF SMITI-IVILLE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH TOLEE A. WOODS AND ONE-FOURTH TO ELMER ID. CUTLER, BOTH 0F SMITI-IVILLE,MIS- SOURI.

DRAFT APPLIANCE.

Application filed June 26, 1925. Serial No. 39,763.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE DAUGHERTY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sinithville, in the county of Clay and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Draft Appliance,of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a draft appliance, and aims to providea device for attachment to a wagon, cart, or like vehicle to which threehorses are to be hitched, comlnonly termed a three up hitch. The deviceconsists essentially of a rigid frame attached to the front axle of anytype of vehicle. This frame carries a stub tongue on the center line ofthe vehicle, and has attached thereto a triple tree. In an oiisetposition, a tongue is attached to the frame and is hingedly associatedtherewith so as to allow a free up and down motion, and at the same timetransmit all side motion to the front axle. There are also providedparts for supporting the entire weight of the de vice from the body ofthe vehicle by means of two rigid side braces and one rigid center braceattached to the front axle, and one adjustable top center brace runningfrom the top of the stub tongue back over and around the king pin,thereby relieving the king pin of all the weight of the device, andfastened into the body of the wagon on a fifth-wheel wagon or into thecoupling pole of a farm truck. The side rigidity of the tongue isobtained by the employment of a curved brace running from the tongue tothe stub tongue.

All present three up hitches have tongues rigidly connected to the framework in front of the front axle; this frame work being hinged to theaxle and partially supported by a tie to the top of the king pin, thusthrowing a large amount of the weight of the device on the horses neckson level ground and allowing an excess of side play to the tongue. On adown hill pull, as over a bank, the tongue assumes a position in linewith the ground upon which the wagon stands, thus placing the tongue insuch a position as to render it very difficult for the team to controlthe course of the wagon. My improved device, by the employment of thebraces mentioned, relieves the team of all the weight of the device,they carrying only the weight of the tongue At the same time the hingedtongue, which is braced into the stub tongue, gives the team completecontrol over the wagon on all kinds of road.

A further very important object of the present invention is to provide adevice of this nature which is exceedingly simple in its construction,strong, durable, efficient and reliable in use, and otherwise welladapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as thedescrip tion proceeds, the invention resides in cer tain novel featuresof construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a top plan view of the appliance embodyingthe features of my invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on theline 33 of Figure 1,

Figure -l is a detail section taken substantially on the line dat ofFigure l, and

Figure 5 is a detail horizontal section taken substantially on the line5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the frameincludes a pair of said braces 5 attached to a stub tongue 6, at one endand engaged at their other ends with a bolt '7 running longitudinallywith and in front of the axle 8, and mounted thereon by means ofsuitable brackets 9. The frame also includes a bar 10 extendingforwardly from the bolt 7, and provided with a right angularlyextendingportion 11 at its forward end which is bent backwardly as is indicatedat 12 so as to be attached to the stub tongue 6. It is to be noted thatthe bars 5 converge forwardly toward each other and therefore aredisposed at acute angles to the bolt 7. The main tongue is indicated bythe numeral 13 and is swingable in a vertical plane 011 a bolt 14extending through the stub tongue 6, and laterally therefrom through thebar 10, said tongue 13 being disposed alongside of said bar 10. A rigidbrace 16 is attached by suitable clamping means 17 to the axle 8 andextends forwardly and is fixed to the bolt 14 by a nut 17, or in anyother suitable manner. A curved arm 18 is fixed at one end as at 19 toan intermediate portion of the tongue 13 forwardly of the frame andextends laterally and rearwardly from the tongue and is rotatablyengaged on the bar 14 as at 20. A spacing sleeve 21 is disposed on thebolt 14 between bar 10 and the end 20 of arm 18. A brace 22 is engagedon the bolt 7, and is bent to extend at an acute angle therefrominwardly and to be attached to the bolt 24 which passes through the bar10, see Figure 5, through the bars 5, and stub tongue 6, by means of anut 25. A spacing sleeve 26 is disposed about this bolt 2% between thebar 10 and the adjacent bar 5. A brace 27 is rigidly clamped as at 28 tothe end of the axle 8 opposite to the clamping device 17, and extendsforwardly and inwardly for attachment to the bolt 2% adjacent the brace22 as is clearly illustrated in Figure 5. A bottom brace 29 extends fromthe bottom of the stub tongue 6, and is attached to the bottom of theaxle 8.

An adjustable brace 30 is fixed to the bolt 31 extending through thestub tongue 6, and extends rearwardly, having a section 32 adjustablyassociated therewith and provided with a slot 33 for receiving the kingbolt 34. Bolts 36 are attached to the section 33 and may be engaged intothe body of the wagon on a fifth-wheel wagon or into the coupling poleof a farm truck, both structures being well known in the art, andtherefore not illustrated in the accompanying drawing. This bracingfeature relieves the king pin of all the weight of the device.

A triple tree structure 35 is engaged on the bolt 31 below the brace 30.

It is thoughtthat the construction, operation, and advantages of thisinvention will now be clearly understood by those skilled in this artwithout a more detailed description thereof. The present embodiment ofthe invention has been disclosed merely by way of example, and inpractice attains all the features of advantage enumerated as desirablein the statement of the invention and the above description. It isapparent that the numerous changes in the details of construction, andin the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

lilaving thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent isz- 1. In combination with a vehicle frontaxle, a rigid frame attached thereto, a stub tongue carried by theframe, a bolt extending laterally from the stub tongue, a main tonguerotatable on the bolt and capable of swinging vertically, a curved armattached at one end to an intermediate portion of the main tongue andextending therefrom rearwardly and laterally and pivot ally engaged withthe bolt adjacent the stub tongue, a multiple draft tree attached to thestub tongue, a king pin rising from the axle, an adjustable braceengaged at its forward end to the stub tongue and extend ing rearwardlytherefrom and having a slot for receiving the king pin, and means forattaching it to the body of a. wagon or the like.

2. In combination with an axle, a bolt, means for supporting the belt infront of the axle to extend in spaced parallel relation thereto, a pairof bars attached to the bolt adjacent its ends and curved toconforwardly toward each other, the forward end of said bars beingdisposed in parallel spaced relation, a stub tongue between the forwardend of the bars, a third bar attached to the bolt and extendingforwardly therefrom and provided with a lateral extension attached tothe adjacent first mentioned bar, a bolt extending through the stubtongue, through the first mentioned bars, and through the third bar, abrace attached to the end of the second mentioned bolt and to the end ofthe axle, a tongue swingabl on the second mentioned bolt vertically anddisposed between the third bar and the brace, and an arm extendinglaterally and rearwardly from an intermediate portion of the tongue andpivotally engaged on the second bolt adjacent the stub tongue.

3. In combination with an axle, a bolt, means for supporting the bolt infront of the axle to extend in spaced parallel relation thereto, a pairof bars attached to the bolt adjacent its ends and curved to convergeforwardly toward each other, the forward end of said bars being disposedin parallel spaced relation, a stub tongue between the forward ends ofthe bars, a third bar attached to the bolt and extending forwardlytherefrom and provided with a latoral extension attached to the adjacentfirst mentioned bar, a bolt extending through the stub axle, through thefirst mentioned bars, and through the third bar, a brace attached to theend of the second mentioned bolt and to the end of the axle, a tongueswingable on the second bolt vertically and disposed between the thirdbar and the brace, and an arm extending laterally and rearwardly from anintermediateportion of the tongue and pivotally engaged on the secondbolt adjacent the stub tongue, and a multiple draft tree attached to thestub tongue In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLAUDE DAUGHER-TY.

